DOOM with MOOD

Accomplished builder Anthony Wilson (The Secret Walrus) brings us a magnificent micro inspired by the video game DOOM. Whether you've played or not, I think you'll be able to appreciate Anthony's handiwork:

 

This build has a healthy balance of quality detailing and effective techniques. The pentagram and demonic skull are cleverly designed, but the majority of the build features simpler architecture that gives it hearty substance without overwhelming the viewer. 

What struck me most immediately about this build is the excellent presentation! Real lighting effects and the inclusion of smoke (perhaps real, perhaps added in post-production) energize the build, giving it a mysterious and malevolent atmosphere. A single nanofig stands at the threshold of unknowable evil, illustrating the feeling of enthrallment this build creates. In the foreground, tangled brambles add visual variety and another color to the build without forsaking the pervasive feeling of DOOM. 

Anthony has suggested a fitting soundtrack to accompany this masterpiece. Click on the image above to visit the original photo and find out what it is!

“The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact.”

Check out this microscale model of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient Greek theater in Athens, built by George Panteleon (ZetoVince). I think Greek architecture is absolutely beautiful, and seeing a classic drama performed in this ancient theater (which has been renovated and is still used today) is something I'd like to experience. Despite its repetition and bland color scheme, this model pops because of the contrast of textures: the smooth SNOTed sections reflect the chiseled rows of seats in the amphitheater, opposing the rough rocks and crumbling ruins on the edges of the build. You can check out this construction shot to see how it's built (although I must confess I'm still not entirely sure!). 

Take me to church

I'm no Castle expert, but I instantly felt this MOC by newcomer don leopold brings something new to the table. It has a different feel than a lot of Castle builds I've blogged before, although I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it is. Maybe any Castleheads reading this can elaborate...

We've seen the 1x1-cylinder-for-roofing technique before, but it works really nicely here. The trees and stone wall are well built and fit nicely into the scene. My favorite aspect of the build is the excellent use of SNOT and greebles to achieve the look of crumbling, paint-worn walls; it's some of the most natural-looking I've seen in a Castle build. Also note the NPU for the bell - can you tell what those pieces are?

Casa Kolonihagen

Not to be confused with BrickNerd head honcho Tommy Williamson, Tommie Wilhelmsen is a Norwegian architect known for the simple, two-room Casa Kolonihagen house. This modern-style home has now been recreated in LEGO by Lego Fjotten, and I think he did a great job - although if you don't believe me, check out the source images of the real-life building.

Tokyo skyline

Tokyo is a beautiful city: a blend of sleek modern technology and tranquil nature. Past and future blend together here like nowhere else, and this has been replicated wonderfully by Cecilie Fritzvold (cecilihf) in her MOC of the Japanese capital:

From left to right, the buildings displayed are Meiji Tower, Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Skytree, and Senso-ji. 

There are some lovely building techniques used in this microscale MOC. The one that I noticed first was the many minifig hands used on the taller buildings, but a zoom-in on Flickr revealed many more exciting intricacies: an interesting pattern on Tokyo Tower achieved with 1x2 grilles and rubber bands; precariously connected clips at the base of that same tower; a laptop and some tiny tank treads on the Imperial Palace; and what I'm pretty sure are some Resistance Trooper helmets used to make the bridge. 

The architectural choices are spot-on, showcasing that blend of past and future I mentioned above. The presentation also looks great - just a sleek, solid black background, simple and elegant just like the city. This is just a great build and I can't say enough about it. 

EDIT: by complete coincidence (seriously, I didn't notice until after I posted!), this build features a microscale tree very similar to the one I showed Sheo's tutorial for in the previous post! I wonder if there's a connection...

How to plant a plastic tree

Yesterday Sheo. revealed this tutorial for building an excellent microscale tree. It uses only 19 pieces, yet the end result looks amazing:

It looks unstable, but the builder says it can be tipped upside down without any pieces falling off. The natural, round shaping and fine details are incredible at this scale - microscale nature/architecture MOCs will no doubt be enhanced by the presence of a few of these trees, modified to your needs. Here's Sheo's own example, a stately chapel: 

The builder shows off a knowledge of nice part uses, including the ski pole, spinning-plate base, and - my favorite - the reversed jumper plates for doors. 

Now that you know how to build these trees, your microscale MOCs can be further enhanced...if you use this idea be sure to leave a comment on Sheo's post to let your appreciation be known!

Lovely German office building

Paul Trach (Disco86) built his workplace, the Stadtwerk Mainz (a services company in Germany) in a LEGO Architecture style for his LUG. The result is very clean and professional, and would fit right in with the real Architecture line.

Check out this close-up to see the innovative construction of the trees and the front entryway.  

Desert fortress

I think I can speak for all of us here at the Brick Bucket when I say that life has been extremely busy. However, amidst all the busyness and chaos of our everyday lives, one must always take the time to admire a work of art, something that is beautiful, elegant, and aesthetically pleasing.

Such is the case with Tirrell Brown's Qar Riwa.  The combination of the slightly recessed dark tan walls with a light tan border truly makes this MOC an eye-catcher.  But it's not all just sand-colored bricks; there are some lush green areas that really give the oasis vibe in the MOC.

Architectural interlude

As you have probably noticed, The Brick Bucket has not been particularly active recently. All of us have been quite busy and only have minimal amounts of time in which to write (in fact, I'm typing this post in my girlfriend's car while I'm waiting for her to finish her cello lesson). But fear not, we're still here and the posts will keep coming, as frequently as we can cook them up.

Today's fare is a brilliant microscale build by John Klapheke (BrickBuilder7622). The builder says it's a "pseudo-Frank Lloyd Wright-style" build inspired by an iOS app and a fellow architectural builder. There are also some Japanese additions such as the cherry tree, rock garden, and gazebo. I think the overall effect is quite nice:

Thanks for sticking with us, Bucketheads - hope to see you again soon!

The modern life

Ahhh, after all those ancient, weary Castle MOCs, it sure is nice to see some modern architecture! :P

This build from Grantmasters is clean and straightforward, with an excellent color palette, and everything is balanced. There's some great building going on with jumper plates - the porch as well as the front righthand tree:

This MOC might also win the interesting title of "first MOC ever to include prefab tree parts, used as trees, that I did not immediately scroll past..." 

Badshahi Mosque

Not too long ago Andrew of The Brothers Brick wrote a post in which he stated that "the world needs more LEGO mosques," citing a lack of Islamic architecture in LEGO in the last several years. Since then, I actually have being seeing a fair few examples of Islamic styles in my Flickr feed (and a look through The Brick Bucket's archives will reveal previous posts containing these types of MOCs). It's one of my personal favorite architectural styles and I've been thinking about trying a hand at building it myself. 

No doubt I can credit some ideas to jsnyder002, who constructed this excellent model of the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. The complex building techniques and intricate designs make this model more interesting the more you look, so once you're satisfied with the picture here, hop on over to the builder's blog Brickbuilt for more. 

Just look at all the fantastic implementation of SNOT building and part usages like the flowers, unicorn horns, and cheese slopes and tiles built into the walls. This MOC is a great example of the intersection of LEGO and art. 

Spanish villa

Gabe Umland  is a builder of many talents. We recently featured his "muscle car" spaceship, and indeed Gabe has many great sci-fi MOCs in his Flickr stream, but he's also built some nice mecha, castle-style buildings, video game scenes, and even an iPad Mini. 

Now he's expanded his palette even more with this excellent Spanish-style building, located at water's edge and with a lovely homelike feel. My favorite parts are the little details, like crawling vines, sky-blue windows, telescope on the balcony, and the crates and barrels strewn about in the yard. 

I'm also curious as to where Gabe got the green parrot sitting in that palm tree...

Simple architecture

I think I've mentioned my architectural style preferences in previous posts on here. In case you don't know, I'm very much of the modern/minimalist mindset, and maybe that's why I like this simple build from LEGO Will so much. There's not a whole lot going on - basic construction, blocks of color, not much detail - yet it's presented so nicely. I think this is a great example of "LEGO as art."

Katoren Jail

As you might know from one of my previous posts, Arabic/Middle Eastern architecture is one of my favorite styles. I love seeing MOCs from that theme, and this one by jsnyder002 is just about perfect. 

The scene consists of a jail and another building that I think is an interesting (but very good) choice: a cartographer's workshop. Some of the building techniques like the jail walls and the roof on the workshop are really nice, and overall this is just a great MOC. You can see more photos on Flickr here. 

Summer 2015 set reveal masterpost (images and analysis)

Some unofficial images of summer 2015 sets are starting to appear online, and I haven't seen them posted on any major LEGO blogs yet, so I figured I'd do a write-up here on Brickology. Imgur user Scarilian created an album of images from around the web; I'm using those images in this post for my own analysis of the sets. You can view the original album here.  

In this image we see the Ultra Agents set 71068 Drillex Diamond Job, which will be available soon (if it isn't already). However, in the background we can see part of another set, which seems to be some sort of ocean/dock structure (I'm thinking maybe an oil rig). A new villain minifigure can be seen, as well as what appears to be a new shark design. This set could be 70173 Ultra Agents Ocean HQ, which will go for $79.99 according to The Brick Fan's London Toy Fair 2015 report. 

Nice curves

One of the things I love about modern architecture is that it tends to embrace sleek, sweeping forms that other styles don't have. Unfortunately, that same property makes modern buildings rather difficult to build with LEGO. But lisqr has found a solution: use railroad track elements to guide the curve of the building. 

Not sure what that pirate flag is doing there though...

Via TBB.

A shady deal

I'm a fan of Middle Eastern-style architecture, and vitroleum's latest MOC captures that style perfectly. 

I like the texture of the walls, some of which is achieved using hinge plates. The Uruk-Hai scimitars on the door also look quite nice.

Image from The Brothers Brick.

EDIT (2/13/15)- taking another look at this after mentioning it in another post, I just noticed the tan legs used in the window on the left side of the building. Nice touch! 

State Gardens of Lenfald

The State Gardens of Lenfald, at Stonewald, were first founded by High Lord Wensesclaus the 1st. Throughout the years each successive leader has improved the gardens, ’til they reached the way they look today, brimming with vibrant flowers, exotic animals and stunning architecture.

When he took office, High Lord Triphian I decided that the gardens should be for everyone to enjoy, not just the nobility. He opened the gardens to the public, so that all who want to can visit them, and marvel in their magnificence. Now, peasants and nobles rub shoulders daily, all equal inside the twisting paths, maze-like hedges, and beautiful grottos and buildings.

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Haymar and Mirranda walk through the gardens, enjoying the fresh air, (and each other's company), after pledging Haymar's army to High Lord Triphian I, for the coming siege of Maldrake's Fortress.

I really like this castle gardens scene by JBIronWorks. The path, walls, and flowers and greenery all contribute to a nice peaceful castle MOC, refreshingly free of any battling armies or angry dragons. 

Click here for more images. 

710 Blue Meadow Ave

Nick V (Brickthing) has got a prime piece of real estate with spacious living areas and plenty of ventilation. Not to mention a healthy dose of olive green. 

I must confess it took me forever to figure out what those lumpy green shrubs on the lawn were made with. Then I realized: troll hands! Genius! 

In fact, really the whole build is genius. Just look at the pointy roof, tiled walls, and that big ventilation grille! 

The Legend of Zorro

It's been over a year since TheBrickAvenger last found time to make a MOC... and he says this one will probably be his only build this year. Fortunately, it's a fantastic one. Enjoy "The Legend of Zorro".

There's so much to look at here, so allow me to list a few of my favorite little details and techniques:

• I love how the walls have little bricks that stick out partway, giving the surface a rough and textured look.
• We've seen that roof design- using a ton of 1x1 cylinders- before (and even on official sets), but it looks so darn good here!
• The alternate use of plates and tiles to create an uneven ground surface is nice. 
• I really like the little windmill rig on the lefthand side. 
• The archway with the little section of slanted roof is a nice touch. 
• And of course, there's the little things, like the wagon wheel and little brown sack leaning against the wall of the building. 

Check out the Brickshelf gallery for this MOC here. And, while he may not be very prolific, TheBrickAvenger is an amazing builder. Go check out his Flickr photostream here and prepare to see some more awesome LEGO creations.